Creating year round tourism.

One of the things that is mentioned over and over in the many years of reports on Wasaga Tourism is the need for a roofed structure,

 for inclement weather. Someplace were we can also host a

 few functions.

 www.sprung.com

I have researched a lot of them. The one I personal favour is the multi function style, Sprung did for the Shakespeare by the Lake in Toronto. I see it being used for shows, music concerts,weddings,trade shows like spring RV or boat,winter

off road and snow mobile, our classic dinner & a movie, BMX competitions, horse shows, farmers markets and even covered ice skating in the winter off months.

 The other nice thing about them is they go up very fast. They can be moved to a new location, they are low cost and last for 50 years. After that they can be rehabbed to last another 50.  If we could get one of these up at the main beach or in the Main St area by spring, we will be able to attract a lot of new events and stretch our tourist season by 6 months. 

Action gets action, once investors see what we are doing they will be a lot more excited about doing business in Wasaga Beach.

I did have concern about openness and integrity, so before I promoted this idea I reached out to Sprung. Here is my email exchange with them. The last one gives you some numbers (dollars)  Total cost completed would be far less than what we just approved for hiring an architect to create plans for our proposed arena and hub.   

Collingwood/Wasaga

Inbox

x

Robert Bortlisz <r.bortlisz@gmail.com>	Thu, Jun 21, 7:07 PM
to karen.hughes

Hello Karen. I am the person that referred Robert Venton to you for a concert venue in Wasaga.

 I am running for council in Wasaga. FB Building a Better Wasaga. I have been advocating for 

a superstructure like yours on the beach as a multi function facility for a couple of years.

 I am concerned about the scandal in Collingwood, re commissions to the Mayors Brother.

 Can you shed any light on this? I want to rest assured as I continue to promote Sprung. Thank You

Robert 

Tom Lloyd <tlloyd@sprung.com>	Fri, Jun 22, 5:55 AM
to me, Karen

Hi Robert,

Thank you very much for the referral, and best of luck with your campaign!

 The Sprung Performance Event Facility would be a great addition to Wasaga.

 Regarding the Collingwood purchase of the two Sprung Structures, please rest

 assured out team had no involvement in any wrongdoing and was long ago

 cleared of such by the OPP investigation team.

 As a 131 year old company we take matters such as anti-corruption 

very seriously. Please let me know if you require any further information.

 Kindest regards,

 Tom

Tom Lloyd | Regional Business Development Manager |  

SPRUNG STRUCTURES  12 Upjohn Road, Unit 4, Toronto Ontario M3B 2V9

1-800-528-9899 ext. 222 Toll Free | 1-905-829-1600 ext. 222 Office |  | www.sprung.com

From: Robert Bortlisz  r.bortlisz@gmail.com
Date: June 21, 2018 at 7:07:11 PM EDT
To: <karenhughes@sprung.com
Subject: Collingwood/Wasaga

Robert Bortlisz <r.bortlisz@gmail.com>	Jun 22, 2018, 9:32 AM
to Tom, Karen

Thank you for your response. If the issue comes up, can I share your response? 

Attachments area

Tom Lloyd <tlloyd@sprung.com>	Jun 22, 2018, 9:55 AM
to me, Karen

Hi Robert,

Yes please do. Have a great weekend!

Kindest regards,

Tom

Tom Lloyd
Sprung Structures
Regional Business Development Manager -
12 Upjohn Road, Unit 4
Toronto, ON M3B 1Y2
W 905.829.1600

T 1.800.528.9899

Robert Bortlisz		Sun, Jul 22, 5:27 PM
Hi Tom, hoping I could get some budget numbers from you on an events center for  the beach. I like the one you did in Toronto for Shakespeare on the lake. We oft

Tom Lloyd		Mon, Jul 23, 9:54 AM
Hi Max, Can you please contact Robert, number below and discuss our many  event and Wedding facility options? Thanks. Cheers,  Tom Tom Lloyd | Regional Business D

Max Leone <max.leone@sprung.com>	Mon, Jul 23, 10:07 AM
to me, Tom

Good morning Robert,

 I hope all is well.

Thanks for reaching out to Sprung regarding your project- I just left you a phone

 message. I was hoping we could chat so that I could get a better understanding 

of your project? Would there be a good time to reach out to you.

Regards,

Max Leone | Business Development Manager

Good morning Robert,

I hope all is well.

Below you can find some order of magnitude pricing for the structures that we discussed.

  These are high level numbers and we factored in  three Double Personnel Doors. 

This quote includes a technical consultant and the structure will be delivered to site. 

These estimates are conservative and will be adjusted upon obtaining

 more information. If you have any questions please feel free to reach 

out to me. I’ve attached some marketing collateral for your review.

Sprung 50’ x 105’ (5,250 sqft) Flat Ended Structure– Event Facility: 

3 Double Personnel Doors (3’ W x7’ H)

50 year guarantee for the aluminum sub structure

15 year membrane guarantee

Independent Engineered Stamped Drawings

Sprung Technical Consultant

Delivered to site

Total: $163,000.00 plus tax

Erection is estimated at $15/sqft subject to site/ location review

Sprung 70’ x 70’ (4,900 ft) Round Ended Structure– Event Facility: 

3 Double Personnel Doors (3’ W x7’ H)

50 year guarantee for the aluminum sub structure

15 year membrane guarantee

Independent Engineered Stamped Drawings

Sprung Technical Consultant

Delivered to site

Total: $135,000.00 plus tax

Erection is estimated at $15/sqft subject to site/ location review

2018 Voters' Guide for Ontario municipal council and school board elections

Here's what you need to Know!

2018 Voters’ guide for Ontario municipal council and school board elections [PDF]

This guide provides information to voters for the 2018 municipal council and school board elections. The information also applies to any by-elections that may be held during the 2018-2022 council and school board term.

This guide is not meant to replace provincial legislation. It provides general information about the rules contained in the Municipal Elections Act, 1996 and other legislation and regulations, such as:

• Municipal Act, 2001
• City of Toronto Act, 2006
• Education Act

---

In this guide

General information 
Eligibility to vote
How to vote in your municipality
Voters’ list and identification
Questions on the ballot
Supporting a candidate’s campaign
Third party advertising
Supporting a third party advertiser
After the election
Enforcement and penalties
By-elections
Acceptable documents for voter identification
Where to find forms
Contact us

---

General information

Every 4 years, voters across Ontario decide who will represent their interests and lead their communities by electing the members of their municipal councils and school boards.

The Province of Ontario sets out common rules that all voters and candidates must follow. However, municipalities are responsible for conducting elections to their council and for conducting the election of school trustees to Ontario’s school boards. This guide contains information about the rules that are the same for all municipal elections, such as who is eligible to vote.

Eligibility to vote

Municipal council election

You are eligible to vote in the election for municipal council if you meet all of the following requirements:

• you are a Canadian citizen
• you are aged 18 or older
• you qualify to vote in the municipality

There are 3 ways that you can qualify to vote in a municipality:

1. As a resident elector if you live in the municipality. You may own, rent, live in shared accommodation where you do not pay rent or live in the municipality but do not have a fixed address. Being a resident elector is the most common type of eligibility.
2. As a non-resident elector if you own or rent property in a municipality, but it’s not the one where you live. You can only be a resident elector in 1 municipality. However, you can be a non-resident elector in any other municipality (or municipalities) where you own or rent property.
3. As the spouse of a non-resident elector if your spouse owns or rents property in the municipality or municipalities other than the one where you live.
   Neither you nor your spouse qualify as a non-resident elector if you do not personally own or rent the property in the municipality. For example, if the property is owned by your business or your cottage is owned by a trust, you would not qualify as a non-resident elector.

Municipal clerk

Every municipality has a municipal clerk who is in charge of running the election. Contact your municipal clerk or municipal website if you have questions about the election, such as:

• how or where to vote
• how to apply for election jobs
• whether or not you are eligible to vote in the municipality

If your municipality does not have a website you could visit or contact your town hall for more information.  https://www.wasagavotes.ca/

Accessibility

Municipal clerks must keep in mind the needs of all voters when they are planning and running the election. The clerk must also ensure that voting places are accessible.

The municipal clerk must prepare a plan for identifying, removing and preventing barriers that affect persons with disabilities. This plan must be available to the public before voting day.

The municipal clerk must also issue a public report on their accessibility plan within 90 days after voting day.

For Full information visit:

http://www.mah.gov.on.ca/Page18734.aspx

Neighbourhood Urbanization

There has been keen interest

in Sidewalks and Curbs

around the residential neigbourhoods in Wasaga Beach. This includes replacing ditches with buried storm sewers.

There are a lot of pros and cons on the subject. The biggest of course is "cost". That comes with the inevitable "who's gonna pay for it!

I inquired about a number of different projects around town. Long string of communiques, but I'll just show one quick one to highlight a few things....:

  Hi Mr. Bortlisz.

The short answer is no, the owners fronting the work zone will not be assessed / have to pay anything for the improvements.

As a longer answer, we only assess / issue a local improvement charge to the “benefitting owners” when there is a direct benefit to that lot, such as installation of new sanitary sewer and water services to their property line providing them with municipal servicing, and/or for example a brand new road being constructed to provide them access to a lot where access was not previously available.  In the case of River Road West, it is just a widening / urbanization project that benefits the entire Town, not just those fronting the work zone.

This project of approximately $6M was funded largely by Development Charges for “growth related projects” (about $4M) with the difference being funding by Provincial CWWF grant (about $2M) that we were successful in receiving.

Regards,

Mike Pincivero, P.Eng.

It does often become a little more complicated when it's just one small area that is requesting the improvements....if it is not of benefit to the whole town owners may get charged back for their portion.  Regardless of where the money comes from, it can get very expensive.

So there are a lot of Pros and Cons you need to consider very carefully.  Most of the pros are fairly obvious, neat, clean, add to your  property values, can be cleared of snow with big machines etc. 

But then there are a lot of cons many people never consider. The environment, use of concrete mean more mega quarries. Injuries, the harder the surface the more likely a fall causes breaks and concussions. Many areas are now looking at soft surface alternatives.

Cars become airborne if they hit a curb to fast.....

Ditches on the other hand stop cars.....and of course in the winter are a good place to push all our snow to....

In our winters concrete takes a beating, and can get very icy. Tree roots must be cut for installation, and as new trees grow they heave the slabs. And again are usually right were our winter pows push our snow.....

All of these thing can become very expensive to maintain and repair.........

I tried to find out from some of our neighbouring communities if they have ever done a "cost / benefit analysis" on this type of infrastructure. I was unsuccessful. I did not find anything on Google either, except this following article that makes you realize there are many other considerations. It's an interesting read.(not long)   https://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/world/sidewalk-experiments-drive-new-ideas-about-urban-public-space/article1314518/?utm_source=Shared+Article+Sent+to+User&utm_medium=E-mail:+Newsletters+/+E-Blasts+/+etc.&utm_campaign=Shared+Web+Article+Links

From their side of the Table.

Continuing in my series of

From their side of the Table.

I had a conversation with Mark Ruttan of Remax about our housing situation in Wasaga. He relayed a story to me, that he recently had a young couple, good jobs and a womping $50k as a down payment.

Yet he had a hard time finding them something suitable and getting them qualified.

 A few days latter I met one of our  Town's auditors from the firm Collins Barrow. I was surprised to learn that they too have had problems attracting new young talent, due to the lack of "starter" homes.

 One of the regions longest established printers, Michael Donovan of The Print Shop (Collingwood) and in business for 38 years, had an interesting perspective on our near future. 

He thinks we could be facing a big exodus soon. As our population grows in the 65+ category, we are having just as many leaving us to go "up stairs" so to say.

 He feels that many of the children of our seniors will be in the middle of their family life/career and will have no interest in keeping the inherited properties. We will soon be face with a massive glut of $500K plus homes.

 I had asked Mr Ruttan if he could pen a few notes for me. He said he'd try but his desk was buried under a mountain of  Probates. 

So the conversations came full circle.

I think it's about time we start thinking about changing our building bylaws to allow construction of smaller homes and secondary tiny houses in the back yards of homes with larger lots.

We need entry level housing if this town is to stay sustainable!

https://tvo.org/article/current-affairs/a-booming-economy-is-putting-barrie-houses-out-of-reach

https://www.simcoe.com/news-story/8849435-robert-bortlisz-wasaga-beach-councillor/

Wasaga Sun Newspaper.

I grew up spending a lot of time in the beach. My parents moved and then retired here as did I.  

The sandy shores and natural beauty drew people just like you and I here. We brought our energy, skills, expertise and slowly but surely built businesses, tourist attractions, cottages and homes. We grew into a town.   click link to read it all.

Robert Bortlisz

Candidate for Wasaga Beach Council

Statement of Principles

· The earliest idea for an incorporated municipality was that of residents coming together and pooling resources to improve everyday life for all in the town. The people decide what is most needed and give authority to an elected council to collect funds and carry out the plans in a timely and cost effective manner. The council is further charged with the responsibility of maintaining assets and ensuring enough funds are saved for inevitably replacement costs. I do not believe that basic principle has changed.

· A strong community and Town is only as strong as the weakest link. It is our collective responsibility to ensure that the less fortunate and challenged members of our community are assisted and made to feel a secure, welcomed part of our society.

· As a councilor it is my duty to advise, research, educate and put forward ideas to improve our community. If the majority of the population does not approve of a councils agenda, then my job becomes that of carrying out the wishes of the majority (again) in a timely and cost effective manner.

· A community has many ways to “grow”. That does not always mean that we must grow in size or population. The most effective growth comes from continual improvements to the services and infrastructure that already exists.

· Planning for the future is a matter of putting extra funds aside so that in the future we can afford a little splurge on new services and upgrades.

· Clear accounting of Town funds, so that a true picture of our financial health is critical. Assets that will never (or should never) be sold must be listed at a nominal value of $1 and the inevitable replacement costs listed as a future liability of their replacement cost. Only those investments held for the sole purpose of saving for future needs can be listed at resale value as an asset.

· A Town must never be in the business of competing with citizens and private enterprise within the Town. Council has a fiduciary responsibility to assist, promote and encourage private enterprise and the personal growth of its citizens.

· Wealth, infrastructure and services must be shared equally throughout the Town and not focused just in one area unless it can be shown and agreed upon by the majority that such endeavor is both truly needed and of benefit to the entire Town.

· For a Town to be sustainable it must have a good population mix. A successful community needs to attract all demographics, particularly youth and young adults. Without that we may never get a high school and there will be a short fall in our labour market.

· The health of a community is dependent on the health of its population. Most of the health care system is Provincial and Federal, so we have little control over that. What we do have control over are things like community garden allotments, walking and biking trails, winter activities, community hubs spread throughout the town, like parquets and playgrounds and advisory personal to promote healthier life styles and choices.

· There seems to have been an unwitting trend to neglect some of our basic infrastructure in favour of urbanization. Funds that should have gone to basic maintenance go elsewhere and home owners get invoiced for a new “capital works charge”, that may not have been needed for another 20 or 30 years. This practice leads to inflation, higher taxes and affordability issues.

· Best Use, were land is available for development, a best use approach should be undertaken to evaluate the short and long term impacts of that development land. A balance of natural areas, agricultural lands, park and recreation lands, residential/commercial and industrial must be maintained to assure our future sustainability.

· Wasaga Beach has been blessed with an abundance of natural gems, that have not only sparked the birth of our Town, but built a tourism industry that has served us well, for over 100 years. We have a duty to keep those gems polished so they shine for another hundred years. This is our biggest industry here, we need to build on that!

· By any standard, Wasaga Beach is a “small Town”. We must respect that, protect our history, keep our unique charm and carry out our ideas and wishes in an affordable way. No one comes here expecting “world class” anything. What they do expect and appreciated is that we put “our” best foot forward and be just a little different than where they came from. Being the best possible Wasaga Beach is a goal that Wasaga Beach can strive for and attain.

How does running a restaurant relate to running for council?

The restaurant business is a microcosm of the whole business world. Probably one of the most complicated anywhere.
Here are many of the things involved:
As a Chef, You are a 

• manufacturer,  distributor, expediter
• employer, pr manager, creative director
• accountant, planner & forcaster
• sanitation and safety manager
• maintenance engineer and and traffic control expert.

These are just the start. You have to hire and manage staff, plan the hours according to forecast needs, manage the payroll and labour costs.
You have to learn marketing, advertising and public relations.
You have to create products from raw materials you source and produce a desirable and consistent product.
Understanding you market is vital, and you must constantly update your data.
You need to accurately track your sales, income, tax amounts, profits, banking in order to plan for tomorrow and the future.
A huge list of capital equipment and tools must be maintained and monitored for life expectancy, and you must plan to have replacement cost monies put aside for that.
Inventory control and stock rotation are daily chores. As are negotiating best quality and pricing from not just your suppliers but your subcontractors and service personal.
You have to be able to prepare and fully understand your P & L statements.
In between all of that you are wearing a dozen other hats at any moment. The more successful you become the more you have to be able to take the heat in the kitchen. 
You don't need to be expert at all of these thing, but you need to know enough, that no one can pull the wool over your eyes.
And you need to know how to attract people "more" capable than yourself to handle the jobs best.

Above all you have to truly like and enjoy interacting with the public.

When you take a good long look at it, these are exactly the skills that make for a good Town Councilor.